Article carrier

ABSTRACT

An article carrier used to carry various personal items, such as money, credit cards, keys, passports, and the like. This article carrier is to be used in conjunction with an elastic material, such as a garter. The garter would encircle a body part, such as a thigh, ankle, wrist or bicep and would contain a device for attaching the article carrier to an inside portion of the garter-type device. A type of ornamentation, such as a flower or feathers, would in turn be attached to a portion of the outside of the garter-type material to render the article carrier inconspicuous.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an article carrier utilized by both males and females, with the article carrier secured around a portion of the body of the male or female.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The last several years have shown a marked increase in the amount of individuals exercising on a weekly or daily basis. Although a number of people exercise in a gymnasium, club or similar environment, many individuals exercise by running, jogging or walking on a regular basis around the neighborhood of their homes. Similarly, many individuals prefer to travel to a more rural setting, such as a park to participate in their exercise routine. In either situation, the individual would be required to carry the keys to their home and perhaps to their vehicle with them. Furthermore, many individuals would also prefer to carry money, credit cards and other personal items. Although the money, credit cards and personal items could be stored in the individual's purse or wallet, carrying such a device could prove to be awkward and bulky. This is particularly true since many of the athletic shorts worn by the exercising individuals are not provided with a pocket for carrying even a car key or home key, much less a purse or wallet.

Additionally, many individuals find themselves in situations, such as traveling in foreign countries, in which they wish to carry various important papers, such as a passport, credit cards or money, while traveling, but would not wish to carry such papers in their purse or wallet, particularly if they are traveling in what they perceive to be a dangerous area. Consequently, a need has arisen to provide an individual with a device for easily carrying various items of personal property while exercising, as well as carrying such items in an inconspicuous location on the individual's body.

Several United States patents have attempted to address this situation. For example, applicant is the patentee of U.S. Pat. No. D469,249, entitled “A Leg Pocket.” This patent illustrates the use of a pocket, card carrier or similar device used in conjunction with a garter, thereby holding the pocket or card carrier in place. However, although the Cain patent illustrates the idea of providing a garter for securing the pocket or card carrier to a portion of the individual's body, the pocket or card carrier would be conspicuous and might allow a nefarious individual to try to remove the pocket or card carrier from the individual.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,769 to Tomlinson et al. describes the use of a carrying device such as a garter 11, provided with a primary cloth pocket 15 formed by adhering a patch of material to the inside of the garter. A secondary pocket 13 can be inserted into the primary pocket 15. However, it is noted that the size of this secondary pocket 13 is relatively small, thereby only allowing very small items to be inserted therein. Additionally, based upon the construction of the secondary pocket 13, it would be very difficult to easily insert as well as remove the secondary pocket 13 from the primary pocket 15.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,186,191 issued to Beckwith, describes an article carrying device adapted to be carried around the calf of an individual. This device includes an elastic band 10 as well as a device attached to the band 10 for carrying cigarettes therein. While it might be conceivable that the device for holding the cigarettes can be removed from the elastic band 10, it would not be particularly easy to do so. Additionally, it is noted that the cigarettes are adapted to be provided between a bight portion 13 and a position A of the elastic material 10. This particular configuration would not lend itself for holding various personal items therein, such as keys, money, credit cards, personal papers and the like.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,331, issued to McDougall, discusses an article holder tailored to the needs of bathers, swimmers and surfers for holding various items, such as a key therein. The article holder is designed to surround the swimmer's arms and would be very conspicuous.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,445,528, issued to Marsh, describes an armlet purse including a circular band of elastic 10 having a pocket or purse 11 permanently secured to the armlet. Since the pocket or purse 11 is not removable from the elastic circular band 10, the armlet itself can never be worn without the pocket or purse.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,141 to Leone, describes a bag for use on the body of an individual. This bag 13 is closed by a zipper 16 such that the bag 13 is permanently affixed to a garter 11.

U.S. Pat. No. D399,036 to Washington, illustrates a garter provided with a small pocket attached thereto for the purpose of inserting a lipstick container therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art. These deficiencies include not providing an easily removable pocket or card carrier from a garter or similar device and securing the pocket or card carrier to the body of an individual. Additionally, the present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art which does not include a device for inconspicuously hiding the pocket or card carrier from view.

The present invention includes a garter, or similar device, which would encircle a portion of an individual's body, such as the thigh, calf, ankle, bicep, wrist, throat or other portion of the individual's body. A pocket or other article carrier would be utilized to insert various items, such as money, credit cards, personal papers, house keys, car keys, or the like, therein. This article carrying device would then be secured to the body of the individual through the use of the elastic nature of the garter type device, or through the use of a device, such as Velcro® for securing the article carrying device to the garter-like element. Various types of ornaments, such as flowers and feathers, would be secured to a portion of the garter-type device for hiding the article carrying device from view.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing the use of the article carrier surrounding an individual's thigh;

FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of the article carrier around the user's ankle;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the present invention surrounding an individual's bicep;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing the garter-like element;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing the garter-like element as well as the article carrier;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the garter-like element and ornamentation covering the article carrier;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing one side of the article carrier;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a second side of the article carrier;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing one side of an ornamentation device; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a second side of the ornamentation device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the present invention 10 in use. The invention includes a garter-like device 12, constructed from elastic material, allowing it to surround a portion of an individual's body, such as the thigh, shown in FIG. 1, and the ankle, shown in FIG. 2. The garter-like device 12 is unisex and can be utilized by a male, such as shown surrounding a male's bicep in FIG. 3. When used by a female, an ornamentation device, such as an artificial flower 14 is directly affixed to the garter-like device 12. It can be appreciated that other types of ornamentation, such as feathers, can be employed. Since FIG. 3 shows the device which can be used by a male, the ornamentation device normally would not be affixed to the garter-like device 12. FIG. 3 shows the use of an article carrier 16 into which various articles are to be placed. This figure also includes a portion 18 of the surface area of the garter-like device 12 to which the ornamentation would be affixed.

The garter-like device 12 could be made in a single size such that the elastic nature of the material would be able to encircle a number of different body parts. It is noted that although FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the use of the garter-type device encircling a thigh, ankle, as well as bicep of a user, various other body parts can also be encircled, such as the individual's wrist or neck. Particularly when the garter-like device 12 is designed to encircle the user's neck, it can be manufactured in a larger size than is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Additionally, it is noted when the garter-like device 12 is used only in conjunction with the article carrier 16, clothes may easily be provided over the garter-like device 12 and the article carrier 16 so that the placement of the article carrier device is hidden from view. Alternatively, as shown with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, and as will be explained later, when utilized with the ornamentation 14, the article carrier 16 can also be hidden from view.

Both the garter-like device 12 as well as the article carrier 16 can be manufactured from various types of leather or suede in a number of different colors. It is noted that the garter-like device 12 can be constructed from leather and the article carrier 16 can be constructed from suede or vice versa, or could include both leather and suede. Alternatively, other types of material can be utilized. What is important is that the garter-like device 12 be elasticized.

FIG. 4A illustrates the garter-like device 12 adapted to encircle various body parts of an individual. The garter-like device 12 includes a portion 18 to which the ornamental device 14 would be affixed as shown in FIG. 5. The ornamental device 14 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 would include a hook 38 attached to the rear of the ornamental device 14 by a piece of cloth 36. The ornamental device 14 would then be affixed to the garter-type device 12 by hooking the hook 38 thereon. Alternatively, a Velcro®-type fastener could be used instead of cloth 36 to affix the ornamental device to portion 18 of the garter-like device 12.

FIG. 6 depicts the article carrier containing a top portion 20 and a bottom portion 22 attached to one another in a manner to allow the top portion 20 to be folded above the bottom portion 22. Pockets 28 and 30 are provided in the top portion 20 and the bottom portion 22 respectively. Various articles, such as money, credit cards, personal papers such as a passport, as well as keys, can be inserted. The top portion 20 is then folded over the bottom portion 22 and is affixed thereto by Velcro® pieces 24 and 26. Although a Velcro® type attachment device is shown in FIG. 6, other types of devices for affixing top portion 20 to the bottom portion 22 can be utilized.

FIG. 7 shows the outside portion of the article carrying device 16 including a section 32 made from suede or other fabric swatch used to prevent the article carrier from sliding. A section 34 is provided which includes a Velcro®-type affixment device thereto. These sections would be utilized in conjunction with the garter-type device 12 as shown in FIG. 4B to affix the article carrier device 16 to the interior surface of the garter-type device 12. Although not shown, the interior section of the garter-type device 12 would include a Velcro®-type fastener used in conjunction with the Velcro®-type fastener 34 of the article carrying device 16.

In use, the garter-type device 12 would encircle a certain body part, such as the biceps, ankle, or thigh of an individual. The garter-type device 12 would then be stretched allowing the article carrier 16 to be inserted therein allowing the Velcro®-type attachment device 34 on the article carrier 16 to be connected to a Velcro®-like device on the interior of the garter-like device 12. In this manner, the article carrier 16 would be provided between the body part and the garter-like device and would be secured thereto.

Generally speaking, the article carrier 16 would be rectangular in nature and the distance between one side 11 and its respective opposite side 13 or one side 15 and its respective opposite side 17 would be greater than the distance between the top 19 and the bottom 21 of the garter-type device 12. Therefore, when worn without the ornamentation 14, the article carrier 16 would be conspicuous and open to view. Consequently, the ornamentation 14 is designed to cover the article carrier 16. For this to occur, the distance between the top of the ornamentation device 40 and its bottom 42 would be greater than either of the distances between the top of the article carrier 11 and its bottom 13 as well as greater than the distance between the side 15 of the article carrier and its respective opposite side 17.

Alternatively, the ornamental device 14 can be directly affixed to the Velcro®-type affixment section 34 of the article carrier 16, through the use of a corresponding Velcro®-type affixment device applied to the ornamental device. In this embodiment, the garter-like device would not be used. This embodiment would also hide the article carrier 16 from view.

In the foregoing description, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Such modifications are to be considered as included in the following claims, unless these claims by the language expressly state otherwise. 

1. A system for carrying articles, comprising: a garter containing elasticized material for encircling a portion of the human body, said garter provided with a first attachment device; an article carrying device containing at least one pocket for carrying articles therein, said article carrying device provided with a second attachment device to be secured to said first attachment device; wherein in use, said garter completely surrounds a portion of the human body and said first and second attachment devices secure said article carrying device between an inside portion of said garter and a portion of the human body.
 2. The system in accordance with claim 1, further including an ornamentation affixed to an outside portion of said garter.
 3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said article carrying device contains a first portion and a first pocket thereon and a second portion having a second pocket thereon, said first portion folded over said second portion prior to securing said article carrying device to said garter.
 4. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said article carrying device contains a first portion with said first pocket therein, and a second portion having a second pocket therein, said first portion folded over said second portion prior to having said article carrying device secured to said garter.
 5. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said ornamentation completely covers said article carrying device when said article carrying device is secured to said inside portion of said garter and said ornamentation is secured to said outside portion by said garter, thereby hiding said article carrying device from view.
 6. The system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said ornamentation completely covers said article carrying device when said article carrying device is secured to said inside portion of said garter and said ornamentation is secured to said outside portion by said garter.
 7. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said ornamentation is a flower.
 8. The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said ornamentation is a flower.
 9. A system for carrying articles, comprising: an article carrying device containing at least one pocket for carrying articles therein, said article carrying device provided with a first attachment device; and an ornamentation provided with a second attachment device secured to said first attachment device; wherein said ornamentation completely covers said article carrying device from view when said ornamentation is secured to said article carrying device.
 10. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said article carrying device contains a first portion with said first pocket therein and a second portion having a second pocket therein, said first portion folded over said second portion prior to having said article carrying device secured to said ornamentation.
 11. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said ornamentation is a flower.
 12. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said ornamentation is a flower. 